Comments on: Rep. Bachmann Refuses To Fill Out 2010 Census

[ejvalpey]

When you are collecting data on 307 million people for massive aggregate analysis, it is simply farcical to imply that there exists some kind of governmental invasion of privacy to collect demographic information in addition to head counts.
This information, once collected, goes well beyond contributing to the development of optimal public policy and districting. It is also integral to academic research we all benefit from (including all future Americans and their future elected representatives). To oppose the collection of aggregate population data is to oppose the pursuit of knowledge and the improvement of the American condition.
The irony, of course, for this campaign against information, is how trivial a problem it is for statisticians to make qualified estimates for those who follow this call in refusing to answer. As the results are made public and are easily verifiable, who cares who is hired by the census bureau?

[catnipp2]

whether or not I've had a child, my fertility status and where my grandparents came from (info taken from a census questionaire website) is not needed to figure out how many people live in this country. I do not care about social programs. You want to tell them everything about yourself down to your bra size because you want to hide your head in the sand and deny any invasion of privacy, you go right ahead. Don't look to any of us who stuck to our rights for help when things don't turn out in a sunshine and daisies way.

[SweeneyT]

Way to go, Michelle! There are thousands like you who will not be divulging any more info than names of the occupants of the household.

Looking at all these posts, there are a lot of liberals afraid of you, Michelle. Keep up the good work!

[Xthe17th]

The United States Constitution NO LONGER authorizes a census. That's right. The word "census" does not appear in our historical charter document until Article 1, Section 8 in regard to direct taxation which was then REPEALED by the 16th Amendment. Instead, Article 1, Section 2, paragraph 3 reads, ??the actual Enumeration shall be made?within every subsequent term of ten years in such manner as they shall by law direct.? This is for the purpose of REPRESENTATION.

There is a big difference between these words, ?census? and ?enumeration,? and our wise founding fathers had good reason to be particular in their selection. Webster?s Dictionary defines census as: ?1. in ancient Rome, an official enumeration of the people with special reference to the value of property and estate for the purpose of determining the rate of taxation" and, "2. an official enumeration of the people of a nation, state, district, or city together with the collecting of statistics concerning their property, nativity, age, sex, occupation, etc.? HOWEVER, the definition of the word ?enumeration? in this same dictionary is simply: ?1. the act of counting or numbering.?

Now, take a look at Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment which reads, ?Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers counting the whole number of persons in each state?? There you have it: ?numbers? and ?counting? but no mention of property based taxation, rates, or social demographics. The original un-amended Constitution only allowed for apportioned direct taxes which were independent of one?s personal data.

Regardless of what you hear in the media or what name the bureaucracy gives to itself, every ten years the United States has an Enumeration. ?How many people live here?? That?s all it was ever intended to be. Please consider this along with your Fourth Amendment privacy rights when a Census worker comes knocking on your door with long-form paperwork and a GPS recording device.

[Dixie1200]

Section 141(f)(2) of the Census Act requires that not later than 2 years before the next census, the questions to be included on that census be submitted to Congress. In March 2007, the subjects to be included on the 2010 Census and the American Community Survey were submitted to Congress. Source: www.census.gov
So if I have this right, Congresswoman Bachmann actually APPROVED the questions on the 2010 census and is now claiming they are unconstitutional?

[lalady6]

You are not required to provide anything more than the names of your family members residing in your house. If Obama keeps this up and continues to try and intimidate people into submitting to his will I can see this coming to a very bad ending. Hopefully Congress will block this crap before it becomes an issue.

[ozus]

I have lived in another country where a census was conducted. It was purely anonymous with sealed envelopes handed to the collector. The only check was that you returned a form, not whether you filled in all of the boxes. The people who conducted it were average citizens, hired just for the collection - they did not belong to any single organization. If the US census was conducted the same way, there would be no problem.

[KennyA47]

I applaud the Representative from Minnesota for her STAND. I will be one of many joining her in providing only what is required by the Constitution of the United States. If all Tea Party participants follow her example this will send a powerful voice to our Congress.

We are the People and We are tired of having government shoved down on throats. As far as fines, so what....I survived Viet Nam and I can survive the $5,000 threat.

[Jonah712]

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Our Constitution mandates a census be taken every ten years and compilation of all information should be CONDUCTED with UTMOST
INTEGRITY. Accuracy and confidentiality should be paramount. As an
Independent voter and amateur genealogist, I am appalled that ACORN may have an active role in enumerating the 2010 census! The Census Bureau should be nonpartisan and non-political agency and past allegations of fraud against ACORN raise serious concerns about the organization. Congress should investigate ACORN's questionable voter registration activities and any organization that has been subject to multiple allegations of misconduct should not participating in the 2010 U. S. Census.

There are multitudes of internet videos that reveal evidence of ACORN's fraudulent practices. Just go to youtube.com and search ?ACORN fraud?. Do we want an organization like this compiling confidential information on American citizens? I, myself, would be very reluctant to give personal information to ANYONE that I suspect may have been associated with fraudulent or criminal activities. We know that millions of Americans would be inclined to give less than accurate responses to the census questionnaire. The 2010 Obama census could very well be considered the most inaccurate enumeration in U. S. history.

What a legacy!

[Xthe17th]

The United States Constitution NO LONGER authorizes a census. That's right. The word "census" does not appear in our historical charter document until Article 1, Section 8 in regard to direct taxation which was then REPEALED by the 16th Amendment. Instead, Article 1, Section 2, paragraph 3 reads, ??the actual Enumeration shall be made?within every subsequent term of ten years in such manner as they shall by law direct.? This is for the purpose of REPRESENTATION.

There is a big difference between these words, ?census? and ?enumeration,? and our wise founding fathers had good reason to be particular in their selection. Webster?s Dictionary defines census as: ?1. in ancient Rome, an official enumeration of the people with special reference to the value of property and estate for the purpose of determining the rate of taxation" and, "2. an official enumeration of the people of a nation, state, district, or city together with the collecting of statistics concerning their property, nativity, age, sex, occupation, etc.? HOWEVER, the definition of the word ?enumeration? in this same dictionary is simply: ?1. the act of counting or numbering.?

Now, take a look at Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment which reads, ?Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers counting the whole number of persons in each state?? There you have it: ?numbers? and ?counting? but no mention of property based taxation, rates, or social demographics. The original un-amended Constitution only allowed for apportioned direct taxes which were independent of one?s personal data.

Regardless of what you hear in the media or what name the bureaucracy gives to itself, every ten years the United States has an Enumeration. ?How many people live here?? That?s all it was ever intended to be. Please consider this along with your Fourth Amendment privacy rights when a Census worker comes knocking on your door with long-form paperwork and a GPS recording device.

[rowdyyates68]

Really?? Hypocrisy you can put on just one group in Washington?? I think you need to look much deeper then that. Washington as a whole is full of lies and hypocrisy if you only look at the GOP your only seeing half the picture. Open your eyes and start seeing the whole truth. We the people need to take our country back for all of them.

[rowdyyates68]

of course you would say the same about Barney Frank, right?

[Aldymac]

If Acorn lives up to its past, when they are through with the census we will find that there are no other political parties in the United States other than the democrats.
Does that mean we will then be an Empire?

[captgeobob]

Mine will be going in the trash. The hell with this corrupt admin.

[palin4prez2012]

I totally agree with the Rep. from MN. If ACORN is corrupt, they shouldn't have access to my personal information at all for the census. Maybe all you knuckleheads that elected Obama and his goons to run this country, we wouldn't have to worry as much about ID theft. I guess I will be getting Lifelock to protect myself from the idiots that are running this country!!!

Go Rush, Glenn, Sean and all the right winged people that REALLY want to protect us from the BIG BULLIES IN DC!!!

[Margeadee]

Bachman only won the election in election because she is from one of the few overwhelming republican districts. And you have to suspect every single vote. First she had a preacher who used his mega church on TV to sponsor her. Complaints were filed but the county did nothing. The preacher himself was under investigation for buying an airplane, a limo, property etc for the CHURCH and then renting them back to himself for pittance. Nothing was done. So you see how she won in the counties who voted for her. Shame bush is still around so she can squeeze his leg and buss him on the cheek. SHE IS NUTS. NUTS. NUTS AND HOW THE VOTE FOR HER GOODNESS KNOWS.

[LindainSD]

I have dealt with this already and the "TRUTH IS": you only have to give the number of people in your household.
I came across the same situation with the recent census survey and I never even had the chance to fill it out prior to the plether of phone calls from the brownshirts wanting to help me fill it out and urging me to concede to them. I DID NOT despite the threats of fines.
When I questioned them as to where in the constitution it required me to give the government all this personal information they refused to answer specifically, they only used generalizations according to the polifact(liberal leftist) site.
I stuck to my guns, keeping things cordial on my end and in the end this is what I got: "CLICK", yes, instead of providing me with facts, they hung up on me.
We all need to keep sticking to our guns where big brother is concerned Michele Bachmann knows her constitution and US laws.
I have one solution to this socialistic/facist/marxist problem that would not even come close to spending the remainder of the "CRAP" stimulus sandwich they passed in Feb: buy one way plane tickets for all of them to their socialistic country of choice and when they beg to come back..make sure they know the constitution forwards and backwards and that they actually know American History before their citizenship is restored and they are given the right to again vote.

[Kintari]

The headline reads she refuses to fill out census, in the first paragraph it says she refuses to fully fill out census. Number of people and bathrooms etc. I'm OK with that. The more personal stuff like what time down to the minute you leave for work I think a lot of people are going to have a problem with this. They are already threatening a $5000 fine (a bit heavy handed) ACORN can get involved as soon as they are cleared of wrongdoing in their investigation.

[jslup5]

This is priceless. Bachmann is a fruitcake but yet Pelosi, Frank and Dodd are wonderful examples of representives? People open your eyes. How anyone can say ACORN is a trustworthy organization must have just arrived on the planet. This has been going on for years. I also am an independent and what is going on in this country is scary. I'm not giving out anymore information then my lawyer tells me I have too.

[Sloughfoot]

I do hope Federal LE treats this deffiant behavior as the criminal act that it is and that the Senator has the starch in her panties to take this through the justice system.

[habu99-2009]

Yes, the best way to prop up your argument is to quote Faux "News" and its nutcase-in-chief Glenn Beck. They are both shining examples of "journalism" on the right today, long on rhetoric and RNC talking points, non-existent on facts. And just because some extremist right wing blog has this "story", we're supposed to give it complete faith and belief? Please.

[W_A_H]

I am politically agnostic. I have always been a registered independent hence; I'm not inundated by the "Donate Now" dynamics. We vote for whoever we feel has the best plan and most sat out the last election.

This ACORN censes issue is the only thing that we agree upon 100%. ACORN has not proven themselves to be objective.

Thereby we not only support Ms. Bachmann in this decision but our constituency will not be filling out any form that has to do with ACORN until this organization comes clean. $5,000 penalty you say? Well, with that million in California alone, you folks are going to stuff.......your coffers. This censes will not be accurate as the final tallies will indicate. Whitehouse: How in hell can there be only 2.5 million people in California? Don't be fooled gang. California is about to invert.